John Gorman born 1897

Hi Colleen and Welcome back to Ireland Reaching Out!

www.irishgenealogy.ie is currently down but try tomorrow for a civil birth for John. The registration district is likely Tipperary if he was from Drom civil parish.

Roger McDonnell

Roger,

Thank you.  Did you see the response I wrote to AM today?  She wrote me sometime ago and I did not see it until today.  She indicates that the John born to John and Alice is her grandfather.  That is the man possibly my grandfather was using for identification or something.  Why would someone do that so long ago?  it wasnt like there was an internet and people were googling you back then.  Who and why would one need to not use their real name?  

Am I looking for someone who was not John Gorman or O'Gorman?  Here is what he has documented that I have found (so little):

Name: John P. O'Gorman

Birthdate:  October 5, 1897

Place: Ireland

Father: John Gorman

Mother: Margaret Dunne 

Parents lived in Thurles in 1930 according to the form he completed to get a marriage lisence with my grandmother here in the States.  

I believe he was in the US as early as 1927.  He and my grandmother's oldest son was born in November 1928.  It is said he 'disappeared' for extended periods of time from their home but would always come back, sometimes being gone for months.  He left in 1942 or 1943 again, but never returned.  It is unknown if he ever contacted my grandmother or what if anything she knew about him.  In February 1942 he completed a World War II draft card.  His description included a scar above his right eye and two bullet holes!!!  Seriously.  I believe one was in his shoulder and one near his hip.    Quite a tid bit of information I think.  

I am so frustrated.  It seems so much of my family are dead ends so early.  That is with the exception of my grandmothers family up near Sligo.  I enjoy working on the search with them and am grateful.  

Thank you for everything you do Roger,

Colleen O'Gorman

Hi Colleen,  I believe Gerard O'Gorman is your father and you are DNA linked to Michael Urhegyi. Michael is related to me and my great grandfather was John Gorman born 1875 Thurles. Sometime around 1900 he moved to England to get work on the railways. He married Eliza Webster in 1903 at Manchester. They had the first of four sons the following year beginning with John (Jack) in 1904. Philip in 1906 (Michael's g/grandad), Edward (my grandad), Joseph in 1911 & finally Mary in 1915.  Our John (Jack) born 1907 always talked of running off to join the Canadian Mounted Police but they never had a member by that name. He disappeared in the 1920's and one source suggests he use to hang around the Salford Docks in Manchester and may have been pressed ganged onto a ships crew. The family never heard from him again. All four boys were champion boxers. On the marriage certificate of John Gorman Snr. to Eliza Webster in 1903 it states that John's father's name was Philip O'Gorman who was a weaver.

Andrew

Andrew,

Apparently I neglected to go back and check for replies. I am very grateful despite my neglect. You have quite plausible details into the unusual being, John Patrick Gorman. I have found no evidence of him entering Canada, but could still be true. What I have pieced together as possible is the following:  John was in the US at least sometime in 1927 because that is when he met my grandmother and she became pregnant with my uncle, Jean Paul O'Gorman. John and Marguerite were not married until Jan of 1930. I theorize, based on future activities, that he was unaware of his son until a return trip to the US. They went on to have one daughter and 3 more sons. During those years, according to Jean, John would 'disappear' for long periods of time, perhaps even more than a year. When my father was about 8 years old in 1942, John again left but never returned. Sadly, my grandmother wore her wedding ring set until she died in her early 80's. 

Where did he go? I have been unable to find anything about him. I do know that on the few documents I have located that are associated with him; he lied about his age, birthdate, parents names, where he was born, and more. I also know that besides my father and his siblings, I have found no blood relatives closer than Michael and you. 

I am very grateful for you and the information you provided. I have been to Ireland and specifically Thurles, in search of information about John and will be returning there this coming July. 

Information regarding your family would be most interesting to me. My father, Lawrence Harrington O'Gorman, is John and Marguerite's son. He and my mother have 4 children, 2 girls, 2 boys. Both of my parents are deceased. My siblings live in Kansas City, Missouri, and I recently moved to Oregon. I have one incredible daughter and she has given me 2 precious grandchildren. They too are in Missouri and it is agony being so far from them. 

Thank you again and be happy, be well.

Colleen O'Gorman

your what ever removed cousin